Low Fat Blueberry Bran Muffins

by Michelle on September 12, 2011

While I haven’t been preparing anything elaborate to eat of late, I still manage to make a batch of muffins at least once a week. They’re a quick, easy-to-eat treat in the morning and, as I’ve said before, making them myself cuts way down on the calorie content. We’ve been pretty partial to the banana walnut chocolate chip variety, with corn mufins making their way into the rotation occasionally, but I’m always looking for new recipes. My friend Heather has been raving about this recipe for blueberry bran muffins and she graciously shared it with me last week. I finally made them yesterday morning and I was HIGHLY impressed. Not only are they super healthy—no butter or oil required—but the applesauce makes them really moist. I took Heather’s suggestion to make them a little sweeter by sprinkling the tops of the muffins with sugar. Oh yum! My brother-in-law sampled them shortly after they came out of the oven and also pronounced them as “awesome.” And he’s a tough critic.

Note: I used frozen blueberries because blueberry season has passed here, and if you do the same, don’t defrost them and toss them in a little bit of flour to prevent them from bleeding into the batter. I almost can’t wait to make another batch of these babies. It was hard to eat only one!

Low Fat Blueberry Bran Muffins (adapted from AllRecipes.com)

1 1/2 cups wheat bran

1 cup nonfat milk

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 extra large egg

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1 tablespoon organic sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin cups or use paper muffin liners. Mix together wheat bran and milk, and let stand for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together applesauce, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat in bran mixture. Sift together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir into bran mixture until just blended. Fold in blueberries. Scoop into muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tops spring back when lightly tapped.

About Me
I love to cook. I love to eat. And if friends and family are around to enjoy these pleasures with me, it is a very happy day indeed. But while I’ve been eating all my life, it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I began to pay attention to where my food came from... More »